Sought shelter from Russia’s attacks inside the toilet

Óskar Hallgrímsson sought shelter with his wife inside the bathroom last night while Russian missiles thundered in Kiev in one of the most extensive air raids on the Ukrainian capital for months.

Twelve were killed and dozens were injured in the attack.

Óskar Hallgrímsson, a journalist, documentary and visual artist, has been living in Ukraine with his wife for several years.

« There are daily warnings about bombing here. Icelanders often say that life is going on and in Knaugarður this is exactly that, habits, but it is not natural or okay, and it will never be.

You have begun to get used to this in such a way that you will no longer be as scared when attacks happen, warnings are part of our daily lives, ”says Óskar in a conversation with mbl.is.

« I went straight to work »

« I came home from vacation, we took great attacks and I went straight to work, I have been forming a situation in Kiev all morning and is completely asleep, » says Óskar, but he and his wife came home from just over a two -week vacation in the Ukrainian countryside yesterday – his first vacation.

« I had begun to feel the war and had a physical trace of working constantly in the middle of war, » he says. His family therefore asked him to take a break and the couple went as far from the war as they came and relaxed in the countryside for over two weeks.

« We came home last night and I was very slack and rested after the vacation and stone oversee in the evening.

But then you don’t know anything. We immediately ran into the bathroom and ended up being there all night. « 

The population in Kiev, many sought shelter in underground shelters in the city.

AFP/Stringer

« Thumb rule » to have two walls between

Why did you look for shelter inside the bathroom?

« Our apartment is up on the eighth floor and there is a bomb shoot in the basement but the warnings are heard once, twice a day here – I would do nothing but hang in this basement if I go down every time. Usually you don’t have a shelter unless you really need it and you really need it.

For example, there is a wall and two other walls into the bathroom, which is from all directions in the middle of the apartment, so the bathroom is the safest place to be on and it is next to the exit. « 

He says the couple have made it a habit of looking there when they feel the need for it. « Not if the explosions are at a certain distance, but if we hear in the drones, which sound like slaming, they are within two to three miles of us, and then we have been in the bath. »

Respondents at work in Kiev this morning.

AFP/Stringer

« Served no military purpose »

When asked, Óskar rescue work in Ukraine has become like a well -lubricated machine. He went to the scene this morning and witnessed damage, destruction and crying, frightened and grieving people on the streets, but the responders have already been well over the area and removed most of the streets.

« This was happening at night and I was coming there at 10 this morning, the rescue work has become a very well anointed machine. It is a certain system that starts when the attack occurs – there are emergency responders who work very fast and well, clear everything off the streets, make sure no one is left in the buildings,

This attack covered a rather large area, these were at least seven to eight buildings that were damaged. All the big cities in Ukraine were attacked.

This was a very widespread attack and it served no military purpose. She did not move Russia anymore on the front line, did not sponsor their armies and did not diminish the will of Western nations to support Ukraine, much more so that they are murdering innocent civilians. « 

Respondents carry an injured person in bars at the scene of the attack this morning.

AFP/Stringer

Responses to work early this morning.

AFP/Stringer